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India.com
an hour ago
- General
- India.com
How A Bureaucrat's Childhood Memory Led To A Literacy Revolution Touching Over 16 Million Children
New Delhi: It started with a question that stayed long after the files were signed, the speeches were made and the transfers were ordered. Somewhere in the Bodo-dominated interiors of Assam in 1986, a young IAS officer named Dhir Jhingran noticed something that tugged harder than routine ever could – children sitting silently in classrooms and lost in a language they did not understand. He was then district magistrate in Kokrajhar, a region shaken by conflict and instability in Assam. There was no Right to Education law back then. But to Jhingran, the idea that a child could be in school and still not learn felt like a breach of something sacred. That quiet discomfort would travel with him for decades. It would later take the form of the Language and Learning Foundation (LLF) – a movement now reshaping India's literacy landscape. Since 2015, the LLF has reached over 14.2 lakh children directly and impacted more than 1.6 crore through materials designed to unlock learning in the languages they know best. A Classroom Comes Alive in Varanasi In the primary school of Koirajpur, Uttar Pradesh, teacher Smita Chaturvedi remembers the days when her blackboard felt more like a wall. Students showed up, nodded through definitions, recited textbook lines and left the classroom behind, both physically and emotionally. Things shifted when her school partnered with the LLF. She was given workbooks and guides that invited curiosity. Flashcards, cue-based games, storytelling techniques and posters – all in sync with how young minds play, feel and understand. Three years in, her classroom does not sound like a classroom. It sounds like a place where children belong. 'The stories are on the walls now. The kids do not wait to be told, they begin learning the moment they walk in,' she said. Sapna Spoke, The Class Listened In Haryana, a girl named Sapna sat quietly for weeks after enrolling. She was seven. Her mother tongue was a Punjabi dialect her teachers did not speak. She was not slow and shy. She did not understand what the adults around her were saying. Trained under LLF's multilingual approach, her teacher began teaching concepts in Sapna's home language – not permanently, just as a bridge. It gave her enough confidence to cross over. Today, Sapna is the child who raises her hand first. The Experiment That Started It All Kokrajhar was burning when Jhingran was first posted there. Ethnic tensions had turned violent. But amid the conflict, he discovered something unexpected – a dormant hunger for education. Parents wanted learning. Even inside refugee camps. The solution was not more policing. It was books. Volunteers. Hope. He helped launch an adult literacy campaign across the district. Over 3,000 local youth, mostly women, became teachers overnight. They taught adults to read, to write, to count and, somewhere in the process, to heal. Tribal songs echoed in makeshift classrooms. Community peace meetings replaced armed stand-offs. Within nine months, the district had turned a corner. The experiment worked. Literacy did not follow peace. It created it. Language as a Lifeline, Not a Luxury A large number of Indian children still start school in a language they do not speak at home. They listen. They copy. They pass. But they do not understand. And when comprehension breaks, confidence collapses. This mismatch often pushes children to drop out silently. LLF's work builds a bridge between home languages and school languages. Its programmes help children transition into reading and writing while preserving what they already know. Three Tools, One Mission LLF's model rests on three pillars: Teacher training – intensive workshops, online courses and regular support for educators. Government collaboration – formal partnerships with seven states, including Assam, Jharkhand, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh. Teaching materials – custom handbooks, daily lesson plans and bilingual workbooks that reach the child in her own voice. One Memory Stayed Jhingran spent years at the Ministry of Human Resource Development. He coordinated primary education programmes in eight states. He was advisor to the UNICEF, helped Nepal restructure its education policy and still chose to return to the grassroots. To start from scratch. In every workshop, every workbook and every smile of a child who finally understands a poem, the memory of Kokrajhar lives on. 'I remember those children. They sat in silence for so long. I do not want any child in this country to feel that silence again,' he says. And just like that, from a forgotten district in Assam, a revolution was born – not to make children study harder, but to make them feel heard.
Pink Villa
8 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Pink Villa
After NTRNeel and Salaar 2, Prashanth Neel to collaborate with Ram Charan? Find out
Director Prashanth Neel is currently working on the film, tentatively titled NTRNeel, starring Jr NTR. While his future lineup is yet to be made official, it seems the KGF director might join hands with Ram Charan. Prashanth Neel and Ram Charan to collaborate? According to a report by Rangasthalam, Ram Charan and Prashanth Neel are in talks to collaborate on a project together. While more details about the film haven't been made yet, the report suggests that the ideas for the movie have aligned with each other. As per the report, the film would only take place after the director wraps up his films NTRNeel and Salaar 2 with Prabhas. However, an official confirmation about the collaboration is yet to be made by either of them. Interestingly, a couple of weeks ago, Prashanth Neel made the headlines after it was reported that he would be collaborating with Allu Arjun for a film. The movie is expected to be titled Ravanam, with Dil Raju bankrolling it. Prashanth Neel and Jr NTR's NTRNeel Prashanth Neel and Jr NTR are currently working on their first-ever collaboration, tentatively titled NTRNeel (Dragon). The movie is said to be a high-octane action flick slated to release on June 25, 2026. While more casting details are yet to be confirmed, it is believed that Sapta Sagaradaache Ello fame Rukmini Vasanth and Tovino Thomas would be playing key roles in the movie. Ram Charan's work front On the other hand, Ram Charan was last seen in the movie Game Changer. Directed by Shankar, the political action drama tells the story of an honest IAS officer who goes head-to-head with a corrupt politician. Charan plays dual roles — both father and son — alongside an ensemble cast featuring Kiara Advani, Anjali, SJ Suryah, Srikanth, Sunil, Jayaram, and others. The movie is currently available for streaming on Amazon Prime Video. The RRR star is next set to appear in the sports action drama flick titled Peddi, directed by Buchi Babu Sana. The movie, slated to release on March 27, 2026, features Janhvi Kapoor and Shiva Rajkumar in key roles.
Pink Villa
15 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Pink Villa
Soumya Pandey's success story: She left her rural hometown with high dreams and broke regional barriers in cinema
Actress Soumya Pandey has proven to the world that a filmy background isn't an essential criterion to succeed in Bollywood. The diva has, within a very short span of time, collaborated with some of the leading names in Bollywood. That's not all, she's even produced a few films, proving her versatile talents. In this article, we will learn a little bit more about Soumya Pandey's life and inspirational journey. Soumya Pandey never wanted to be an actress in the first place Soumya hails from a small town in Madhya Pradesh. Her family background had no close connection to the world of films, where her father had been an officer in the MP Police, and her mother is a homemaker. Her childhood had been quite simple, surrounded by a loving family. However, she never forgot to dream big. Interestingly, Soumya's initial aspirations were towards sports. During her school days, she trained in a number of games like hockey, badminton, and volleyball. Later on, Soumya's father inspired her to aim for the civil services and become either an IAS or an IPS officer. However, things completely turned in a different direction from here. Soumya Pandey's unexpected foray into modelling When Soumya started college in Jabalpur, her teachers encouraged her to participate in a modelling event during her fresher's party. However, she was quite hesitant to take part since she had no experience in wearing heels or putting on makeup. However, the powerful experience ultimately transformed her worldview and perception, leading her to realise that the stage and camera were indeed her calling. Things after this were not exactly smooth, since Soumya was tasked to convince her father about modelling. Her father took a year to respond and allow her to pursue this profession. She later recalled, 'When I told my father I was pursuing modeling, he asked, 'What is that?' He never said no outright, but always made me wait a year before fulfilling any request. At the time, it felt frustrating, but today, I realize how much it taught me about discipline and patience.' Struggles in Mumbai before making a cut in cinema While reaching Mumbai to pursue her goals was an easy journey, what then remained was something more difficult. With no contacts or backing, Soumya faced various stages of struggle. Housing issues, rejections, and most importantly, a competitive environment in cinema, attempted to deter her from her ambitions. In her words, 'I had no acting experience. I started with modeling and later joined theatre. Mumbai can be overwhelming, and many people lose sight of their dreams amidst the distractions.' Soumya dealt with language barriers in Bollywood One of the other crucial challenges that came her way was a language barrier. Hailing from Madhya Pradesh, she had a different dialect of Hindi, which actually led many people to mistake her for a senior actor. However, with time, she learned the need to balance Hindi with English for better communication adaptability. Soumya Pandey's stint as a producer As an actor, Soumya became a part of several movies, including Raksha Bandhan and Breathe. She exemplified her talents in South cinema as well, with films like Prema, Geema, Thassha, and Diya. She then got herself trained in scriptwriting and is all set to turn producer for a Bollywood film, directed by Abbas-Mustan. Additionally, she is also a solo producer for an upcoming South Indian film. Soumya Pandey introducing her new podcast Fast forward to now, Soumya Pandey recently launched the SPP UNCUT PODCAST, a unique show with no editing and script in the first place. Promoting honest and unfiltered conversations, this would be hosted by Lucky Bisht. Some of the guests who have already graced her show till now include Gurmeet Chaudhary, Sooraj Pancholi, Abbas Mustan, and senior officer Sameer Wankhede.
The Print
17 hours ago
- Politics
- The Print
With 4 IAS spokespersons & new public redressal system, Stalin govt expands outreach ahead of 2026 polls
Sources in the secretariat told ThePrint that the measures are part of the state government outreach to people ahead of the 2026 assembly elections. The 'Ungaludan Stalin' (Stalin with you) programme will be launched by the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin on 15 July in Chidambaram, in Cuddalore district. It will continue until November 2025. Chennai: Ahead of the 2026 assembly elections, the DMK-led Tamil Nadu Government has appointed four senior IAS officers—P. Amudha, J. Radhakrishnan, Gagandeep Singh Bedi and Dheeraj Kumar—as spokespersons for the government for the first time. The government will also launch 'Ungaludan Stalin' a public redressal system, that will be taken to the common man through camps. 'Apart from the popular schemes, including a free bus scheme and a Rs 1,000 financial assistance scheme for women, it was understood that there was a lack of awareness among the grassroots level people about the works done by the government. Hence, the Chief Minister has initiated such measures,' the source at secretariat told ThePrint. Additional Chief Secretary P. Amudha IAS, who was the special officer for CM's Public Grievance Redressal initiative, will be heading the 'Ungaludan Stalin' initiative. Speaking to ThePrint, Additional Chief Secretary P. Amudha said that the government would be conducting 10,000 camps including, 3,738 camps in Urban areas and 6,232 camps in rural areas. 'It is a continuation of the Makkaludan Mudhalvar (Chief Minister with people) scheme launched in 2023, and the Mudhalvarin Mugavari (Chief Minister's address) scheme launched in 2021, which received overwhelming response from people,' P. Amudha told ThePrint. According to her, as on 30 June 2025, as many as 1.5 crore petitions on grievances were received, of which 1.1 crore petitions were resolved. Similarly, in the Makkaludan Mudhalvar scheme, as many as 9.5 lakh petitions were received from urban areas between November 2023 and January 2024 and 1.02 crore petitions were received in rural areas between July 2024 and September 2024, of which 95% of the petitions were resolved. 'The Chief Minister found that the schemes were very helpful for the people to get services at their door step. So, we once again conducted camps in the rural areas where SC/ST population is higher. Between January 2025 and June 2025, as many as 433 special camps were held in which as many 1.8 lakh petitions were received of which 1.47 lakh petitions were resolved,' Amudha told ThePrint. She also said that the 'Ungaludan Stalin' programme will help people resolve basic issues like changing names and addresses in the ration card, voter id, Aadhaar, etc., through the camps. 'The Chief Minister has instructed us to send volunteers to inform the households a week in advance about the camp, details eligibility and required documents. Under the 'Ungaludam Stalin' programme in urban areas, we will be providing 43 services, and 46 services in rural areas,' she said, adding that the officers were instructed to resolve the issue within 45 days. 'It is not that all the issues will be taking 45 days, say for instance, some of the issues will be resolved in a day or two. Some issues like changing the name in Patta (land record document) and all might take a bit more time,' she told ThePrint. Four IAS officers appointed as Government Spokespersons According to the official release from the State Government, the official government spokespersons would be disseminating key information about various schemes and other essential matters of the department to the public through media in a timely and accurate manner. 'The secretaries of various departments will provide information to the government spokespersons of the concerned department, who in turn will verify the information and provide it to the media through press conferences,' an official source told ThePrint. According to the official release, J. Radhakrishnan will handle information on the Energy Department, Health and Family Welfare Department, Transport Department, Co-operation, Food and Consumer Protection Department, Welfare of Non-Resident Tamils, School Education Department, Higher Education Department, Handlooms, Handicrafts, Textiles and Khadi Department, and the Human Resources Management Department. Similarly, Gagandeep Singh Bedi will provide information regarding Municipal Administration and Water Supply Department, Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Department, Animal Husbandry, Dairying, Fisheries and Fishermen Welfare Department, Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Department, Water Resources Department, Environment, Climate Change and Forests Department, Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Department, Industries, Investment Promotion and Commerce Department and the Natural Resources Department. Dheeraj Kumar will provide information regarding the Home, Prohibition, and Excise Departments. P. Amudha will provide information on the Revenue and Disaster Management Department, Social Welfare and Women's Empowerment Department, Welfare of the Differently Abled Persons Department, Labour Welfare and Skill Development Department, Adi Dravidar and Tribal Welfare Department, Backward Classes, Most Backward Classes and Minorities Welfare Department, Housing and Urban Development Department, Highways and Minor Ports Department, Tourism, Culture and Religious Endowments Department and the Special Programme Implementation Department. (Edited by Viny Mishra) Also read: Stalin's face front & centre, I-PAC hits ground running to shape DMK campaign for 2026 polls
India.com
18 hours ago
- Entertainment
- India.com
Who is IAS Tina Dabi, IAS Ria Dabi's mother? Cracked UPSC exam too, was NIT topper, her name is....
Who is IAS Tina Dabi, IAS Ria Dabi's mother? Cracked UPSC exam too, was NIT topper, her name is.... Today, almost everyone in India knows the names of IAS officer Tina Dabi and her sister IAS Ria Dabi. Tina made headlines in 2016 when she secured AIR 1 in the UPSC Civil Services Exam, and since then, she has inspired lakhs of young aspirants across the country. But behind Tina's success is the silent strength and support of someone very special i.e. her mother, Himali Dabi, a woman who put her daughter's dreams above everything else. Here's the story of this incredible mother. A topper turned IES officer herself Himali Dabi is not new to success as she herself cracked the UPSC Engineering Services Exam and became an officer in the Indian Engineering Services (IES). She studied engineering at Maulana Azad National Institute of Technology (NIT), Bhopal, where she was a topper in her college. Throughout her academic and professional life, she was known for her excellence and dedication. Left her government job for her daughter's dream But when her elder daughter, Tina decided to prepare for the UPSC exam, Himali made a bold choice, she resigned from her well-settled government job just to provide full-time support to both her daughters. Her sacrifice and belief in her daughter's potential became a turning point, helping Tina rise to the top. Himali Dabi was not just a supportive parent, but was a mentor, a guide, and an emotional anchor for her daughter Tina. She understood exactly what Tina needed during her UPSC journey. Both daughters became IAS officers Today, Tina Dabi serves as the District Collector and Magistrate of Jaisalmer, Rajasthan. Her success is not just the result of her own hard work, but also the outcome of her mother's silent sacrifices and strong support. After Tina, her younger sister Ria Dabi also cracked the UPSC exam with flying colours. Ria secured AIR 15 in 2020 and began her civil services career in 2021. IAS Tina Dabi's husband IAS Pradeep Gawande and brother-in-law IPS Manish Kumar have all cleared UPSC exam.
